Tag Archives: Glee

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The #Glee Effect: Down Syndrome

Cousin Roger had Down Syndrome. Born during WWII, his doctor did not tell his mother the diagnosis right away. My aunt had enough to worry about.

Roger wasn’t welcome at holiday lets and hotels when the family vacationed in post-war England. So my uncle bought a caravan – we call them camper vans over here. Roger’s nieces and nephews and great-nieces and great-nephews still camp in caravans. Camping became a family tradition.

Cousin Roger was lucky. My aunt fought to ensure he had as “normal” a life as possible. She was an early advocate for sheltered workshops. She volunteered for a charity that supported the handicapable like my cousin. She never listened to the advice of the experts, who suggested she institutionalize him.

Roger was charming, with a wonderful sense of humour. He loved to tell stories, although he had to struggle to do so. Roger taught me the value of patience and how important it is not to judge others by how they look.

Roger lived a relatively long life. He died when he was 50, living longer than the experts predicted when they finally told my aunt why her younger son was not developing as quickly as his cousin only a few months younger than he.

When Glee first introduced the character of Becky, and then Sue’s sister – both of whom had Down Syndrome, I admit I held my breath. I did not trust that the show that celebrated those on the fringe would treat the characters with respect. I was wrong. An admission inspired by the Season 3 episode: Yes/No.

Like my cousin Roger, the character of Becky struggles to make others understand her. Speech impediment, a unique perspective, they add up to a failure to communicate at times. Then there are the reactions of others, who, with one glance, dismiss her…or at least underestimate her.  People did that to Roger. I did that to Roger, until I learned to slow down and listen at his pace, not mine.

By choosing to have Dame Helen Mirren speak Becky’s inner dialogue, Glee brilliantly depicted the person within in a medium notorious for worshiping the external. Thank you, Glee. I will not doubt you again.

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Theatre is a learned behaviour

Darren Criss, Playbill Cover

Darren Criss's First Playbill Cover

I have been following the Broadway debut of Glee’s Darren Criss in How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying. The producers banked on his pre-existing fan base to fill a theatre in what is traditionally a low attendance month in New York. The gamble paid off, but not without consequences. Many of the “new audience” filling the seats this month are completely unaware of audience etiquette, diminishing the experience for those who are accustomed to attending theatrical performances.

That new audience is of the YouTube generation. A fact that brings an entirely new problem with it. One that was exacerbated by Mr. Criss himself. Just hours before his debut, he posted a video of an orchestra rehearsal in which he was involved, as well as backstage photos. A behaviour anticipated with palpitating hearts by his hordes of international fans unable to attend one of the performances during his three week stint at the Al Hirschfield Theater. In less than hour, Mr. Criss had removed the photos and video from his site.

The damage was done, however, the photos and videos had been downloaded and shared across Tumblr and YouTube, copyright and union rules be damned.  One could argue that Mr. Criss meteoric rise from virtual celebrity to public stardom occurred because he and his companions overlooked intellectual property rights, and continued to do so as his fan base built.

Broadway, however, is the brick wall in his Internet trajectory. His fans, ignorant of the issues and how to behave as a member of a theatre audience are behaving badly. They have surreptitiously filmed his performance, illegally posting segments on YouTube.

Theatre is a learned behaviour. We cannot expect an exuberant neophyte theatre-goer raised on fanfiction, music concerts and self-produced videos shared publicly to know how to behave or how to respect intellectual copyright. It takes a village to raise a theatre-goer.

As an avid theatre-goer who learned how to behave because family members and teachers went out of their way to instruct me I present the top 10 rules of Broadway Theatre Etiquette:

    • Don’t talk or scream when the actors are performing.
    • Laughing is permitted as a response to action that is humorous.
    • Sighing when something delightfully romantic occurs is permitted.
    • Don’t propose marriage to anyone when the actors are performing.
    • Do not sing along, even if you can sing in key.
    • Filming a performance is not allowed – as in do not do it!
    • Still photography – see number 6.
    • Do not unwrap candies, cell phones or weapons of mass destruction while the performance is unfolding.
    • Standing ovations are not obligatory.
    • DO NOT ARRIVE LATE.
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    Warble On – and Sing-off

    The octogenarian and I went to see Glee 3D this past summer. She agreed to accompany me, because she was worried about my most recent obsession. She hates music and can’t hear or see very well. I mention this so you understand the depth of her concern.

    Her first question as we left the cinema? Who were those tidy young men in the blazers? She followed the question with a comment, “I was afraid they would collide with each other as they danced about.” I explained the attire. She murmured her approval. I assured her that no Warbler was injured during the shoot.

    Once she was introduced to the fictitious Dalton Academy and its acappella male chorus, the octogenarian began watching reruns of Season 2. Not a fan of the lead singer – “he isn’t very handsome, is he” – she admired the collective clean-cut, private school wholesomeness. A private school alumna – watching the boys from Dalton made her feel as if some of what defines her has not been lost with time.

    This week it occurred to me that she might enjoy NBC’s the Sing-off – especially the Dartmouth Aires, preppy college lads singing in harmony.  Nope – I was wrong. She left the room at the end of their first number – she did not see the similarity.

    This week’s Season 3 episode (#5 if you are counting) featured the return of the Dalton Academy Warblers: New frontman, same blazers and infectious enthusiasm. After my Sing-off failure, I was trepidatious. Would my octogenarian be disappointed: Only with the first teacher to ever be seen interacting with the students of Dalton.

    The boys worked their magic on Uptown Girl, pushing it beyond Billy Joel’s original Four Seasons inspired arrangement. Curt Mega, who has played Nick since Teenage Dream, took the lead, paying homage to Frankie’s nasal tenor. Mega is a versatile singer capable of a number of styles. None of this mattered to my octogenarian. “What do the four seasons have to do with that song?” she asked.

    As the song climbed the iTunes download chart, Fox released a behind-the-scenes with the Warblers mini-doc to feed the frenzy. I haven’t shown it to Mother. I didn’t want to break that 4th wall and take away that “all is right with the world” feeling the Warblers engender in her. I recommend it to you, however. I think the clip captures the essence of the appeal of the group – and it answers the question – can the Warblers survive without Darren Criss. Warble on!

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    Ambivalent about #LastFridayNight – You bet!

    A few months ago I was on a distribution list that delivered the mini-movie version of Katy Perry‘s video for her single Last Friday Night to my laptop. One viewing and I entered the camp of those who wondered How-many-young-girls-is-the-song-going-to-harm?

    Perry played a braces-wearing 13 year-old who experienced a makeover that turned her into a teenage dream bombshell that wakes up after a night of debauchery, gauche and 13 again. With lyrics of the song appropriate for a jaded, world-weary 21 year-old, Last Friday Night turned Perry from a pop princess into a pop tart.

    I wrote, but never, published a half dozen righteous and indignant reviews of the mini-movie. Then Glee returned last night, and I had to face my double standard. Why would I download Glee’s version of the song, yet rail against the wickedness of Perry’s version?

    After reflection the only answer I can live with is that Glee’s version didn’t reinforce the adult content with explicit images the way the original did – or at least not as much. The song was Gleeified – like Ce Lo Green’s F* You, and a number of other songs with questionable lyrics that are sung by the ersatz high school students of WMHS.

    Damn, this Friday night, I guess I’ll continue to try to connect the dots – shame-faced.

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    #Changingtherules – The Glee Project Winners

    In my professional life, I have managed a contest or two. Lawyers deflated the creative bubble every time. Compromises had to be made for the contests to meet rules and regulations for most of the world. Announcing the winners should have been a career high. The first death threat I received turned it into a career low. Where had all the gracious losers gone?

    So I watched The Glee Project with fascination as competition rules were arbitrarily changed. I followed the online comments and held my breath waiting for the competition to implode. The worst never happened, the rules changed and the creators of Glee drew upon the wisdom of Solomon and the juggernaut that is Glee to award the grand prize to not one, but two, contestants.

    Adding two additional, unadvertised, and totally surprising runner-up prizes delighted me. I can’t wait to see the 2-parter written for Alex. I am not anticipating Lindsay’s 2 story arc – she was the least likeable of the final four – and not in an amusing Rachel Berry way either.

    Damian McGinty epitomized gracious loser. What aplomb from an 18-year-old, as he congratulated Samuel, acknowledging his own disappointment. Then Ryan Murphy announced Damian, too, had won, and boom – teenage delight. Congratulations, Mr and Mrs McGinty – you raised a fine young man.

    My faith has been restored.